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How To Wire A Pool Pump

WRITTEN BY:
Inyo Pools

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Pool pumps are wired to run on either 230V or 115V. Most are run on 230V and are preset at the manufacturers at 230V. If you are going to wire your own pool pump, you must first know what voltage is coming to your pump from the house circuit breaker. Also you must ensure that the electrical supply agrees with the motor's voltage, phase, and cycle and that all electrical wiring conforms to local codes and NEC regulations. If you are unsure of this voltage or are unfamiliar with electrical codes and regulations, have a professional electrician wire your pump for you or at least check your work. Failure to wire the pump correctly can cause electrical shock or can damage your pump motor and void your warranty.

Things You'll Need

Video

Step by Step

Step 1

Measure the voltage on the wires going to your pool pump. See "How To Use a Multimeter to Test a Pool Pump Motor - Voltage". This voltage will be either 230-240V or 115-120V. Pool Pump manufacturers commonly list these as 230V or 115V. Generally you will have three wires coming to your pump. For 230V you will generally have a red, a black and a green wire. The red and black wires are both hot. There is no neutral. The green wire is always ground. For 115V the three wires are generally black (hot), white (neutral) and green (ground).

Step 2

CAUTION: Before you start wiring your pool pump, turn off all power to the pump at the breaker box.

Step 3

Unscrew the two screws that hold the cover over the back end of the motor. Remove the cover to expose the electrical connectors.

Step 4

Screw a metal elbow onto your pool pump at the end of the motor.

Step 5

Run conduit from the metal box to the pump. String your three wires thru the conduit and metal elbow into the end of the motor. Screw the conduit collar onto the end of the elbow. Ensure that your wire size is adequate for the HP rating and distance from the power source. Check your pool pump owners manual for the correct size. Wire sizes generally run 14 AWG for motors up to 1 HP and from 14 AWG to 10AWG for larger motors depending on HP and Voltage.

Step 6

If you are wiring for 230V, the three wires coming to the pool pump from the circuit box are red, black and green. In this example for Hayward pool pumps, red will go to the L1 terminal and black will go to the L2 terminal. The green wire will be under the green screw to the far right. In addition there is a black plug with two wires coming from inside the motor , a black wire and white wire with a black tracer line. The black plug is positioned so that the white arrow on top of the 2 prong black plug is pointing at 230V.

Step 7

For clarification this picture shows the terminals without the wires. The red wire is attached to terminal 1 of Line 1 (L1). The black wire is attached to terminal 3 of Line 2 (L2). The green wire is attached to Ground (GND). The black plug is positioned so that the black wire is attached to terminal 5. For 230V the white wire is not attached.

Step 8

If you are wiring for 115V, the three wires to the pool pump will be black, white and green. Attach the white (115 V) wire to terminal 1 of Line 1 (L1). Attach the black wire (0 V) to terminal 3 of Line 2 (L2). Attach the green wire under the Ground screw (GND). The black plug is shifted in position so the black wire is attached to terminal 4 Line 2 (L2) and the white wire is attached to terminal 5. Note: in this position the white arrow on top of the 2 prong black plug is pointing at the 115V label.

Step 9

Replace the pool pump motor cover and secure it with the two screws.

Step 10

Lastly your pool pump motor must be bonded in accordance with local electrical code requirements. Use a solid copper conductor, size 8 AWG or larger. Run this wire from from a reinforcing rod to the pressure wire connector provided on the motor housing. Note: In this example the wire coming from the bottom of the picture is going to the pump. The upper wire is going to the heater to bond the heater.

Comments

I have seen on several videos some impellers have a wear ring and some don't. If mine does not have a wear ring but the impeller keeps falling out can I put one on to hold impeller in place when trying to reconnect motor into housing? Reply

My pump has the L1/2 and L3/4 but no black plug connection I've wired the red to L1 and black to L2 and the green to ground on a astral pump is that ok? Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S.Posted: 11/27/2018

Hello Timothy - to determine if that is the right set up, we would need to know the model or part or catalog number of the motor's tag. Can you provide that info? You can also refer to the wiring guide on the side of the motor for wiring guidance. Reply

Hello, I'm conforming my connections. From my panel/timer I have dbl pole breaker. Line 1 has 120v Line 2 has 120v then I have ground. I assume Load 1 120v goes to L1 and Load 2 120v goes to L2 and Green to GND. Both the Load wires are RED GND is Green. Does this sound correct to you? Thanks for your help. Reply

InyoPoolsPosted: 9/5/2018

Hello David - Two speed pumps are not dual voltage. If your motor label says 230v, you can't test it on 110v. If the motor is 110v, you can run the hot line (usually black) to the low or high speed terminal, the neutral line (usually white) to the common terminal, and the ground line to the ground terminal (green screw). Reply

David LeathPosted: 9/3/2018

I have an old pump that I'm trying to wire up to see if it works. I have 4 wires coming out of the motor. How would I wire it up just to see if it's still good? The four wires are red, blue, white, and black. How would I wire it to a 110 electrical cord to see if it works? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Reply

VGPosted: 7/27/2018

Thanks for helping pool owners. I have bought a kit to rebuild my pentair whispro pool pump motor. A small pressure wire connector provided on the motor housing on back of my motor is broken. Can I just tangle the wire to the broken piece. Reply

InyopoolsPosted: 5/30/2018

Wiring the way you stated will not impact the rotation or prevent tripping of the GFCI. However, the 115 diagrams on most of the motors have the neutral (white) going to L2 and the hot (black) going to L1. I would wire the way it is stated on the wiring diagram. Reply

BrentPosted: 5/30/2018

Reinstalling a Hayward 115v super pump from winterization by previous owner. Your article says that WHITE goes to L1 on a 115v installation, and black to L2. My Hayward motor shows LINE to L1. Will WHITE to L1 affect rotation direction or prevent tripping of GFCI? Reply

InyopoolsPosted: 4/24/2018

Hello Matt - The 115 diagrams on most of the motors have the neutral (white) going to L2 and the hot (black) going to L1. Honestly, it will work either way. Reply

MattPosted: 4/23/2018

Hi there, Thanks for the great site, it really helped me when I was trying to wire my new pool pump for 115v. I was wondering if you were able to check my wiring. I'm new to this so please excuse any stupid questions. I purchased the hayward inground super pump 1 HP (SP2607X10A ) I follow your steps to wire it for 115v but the diagram on the pump had the white wire on L1 terminal 2.. does this matter? If you could take a look at the link below, I would really appreciate it. Thanks in advance for the help. Great Site!! Link to photos https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ir1Oq9fcCI2u0HiaJzHMmFFJEbpImdxp?usp=sharing Reply

InyopoolsPosted: 4/16/2018

Hello Jake - A 2-speed motor requires four wires; high speed, low speed, common, and ground. The colors may be differ on different installations. You'll need to look at the label on the motor to see what line goes where and then match those lines to your timer or control box. Reply

JakePosted: 4/13/2018

Hello. Great diagrams but my pump has two black, one red, and the green ground coming in to it. What do I do with the "extra" black wire? Reply

I just got my new motor back.I have 3 wires blue, red, and green an I connected the wires to the motor. I connected the blue to l1 and red to l2 is that correct. My bonded wire doesn't reach the motor housing. Reply

InyopoolsPosted: 10/22/2017

Kevin - The underground wire that was attached to the heat pump should be sufficient to bond the pump to the grid. But you might also attach the wire to a steel pipe pounded in the ground as a precaution, since you can't be sure if the underground wire is attached to the grid. Reply

KevinPosted: 10/19/2017

So that's the thing. have found all grid wires to vacant heat pump. One coming from underground and one that came from pool motor. I have connected other grid wires coming from underground and lanai frame to the pool motor. I still have wire that used to attach to motor and another that runs underground. Do I need to secure the wires to a steel rod pounded into the earth? Reply

InyopoolsPosted: 10/19/2017

Kevin - Most pools have an electrical grid that all electrical equipment can tie to so everything is operating on a common base. See Steps 7, 8 and 17 of our guide on "How To Build an In-Ground Pool". See if you can find the bonding wire that should have come from the grid to your heater. If you don't have access to this grid, you should at least connect the pump to a steel rod driven into the ground as you suggest. Reply

KevinPosted: 10/18/2017

I am replacing my motor due to overheating. I also removed my old heat pump that sat adjacent to the motor. Previously, the ground wire from motor was attached to heat pump base. Because there is no longer a heat pump on that pad, what do you suggest I ground the motor to? I have steel rods that I can drive into soil? Reply

BobPosted: 10/14/2017

Thanks for the advice... pump is installed and everything running swimmingly (excuse the pun)... NOW however I notice a "burning" odor in the shed, and the motor (if touched) is SUPER HOT! Whats up with that? Reply

InyopoolsPosted: 10/13/2017

Bob - All indications are that you have 240V coming into your motor. But I would get a meter from someone to check it. If it does turn out to be 240V, both the white and the black wires are hot and it doesn't matter which goes to L1 or L2. Arbitrarily, put black to L1, white to L2. Ground wire (green) will go to the green screw. White arrow on the black box should point to 230V. Reply

BobPosted: 10/12/2017

Totally confused by the wiring instructions.... have no volt meter but certain my power source is 240 volt, but I have only a Black, a White and a Green (NO Red!). I say this because 1) on my existing pump the white arrow (shown in step 6) is pointed at the 240 volt mark, and 2) I have none of those clip things on the existing wires to hook onto the terminals (rather than being screwed in). Seems previous pump was connected to 240, wouldn't you say? That being the case, do I treat my black wire as the red, my white as the white? Thanks Reply

Replacing my old single speed pump. The circuit is wired for 240. The pump I ordered is a 230 2 speed. The problem I'm having is the old pump had two terminals red, blk and then the ground screw. The wiring I have is red,blk,green. The new pump has 3 terminals black, line, yellow and then the grd screw. I think is should be wired blk to blk and red to yellow with nothing on the line terminal but I'm not sure. Any help would be appreciated. Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R.Posted: 7/31/2017

Lafrance - If I understand you correctly, you are replacing a 230V 2-speed motor with a 239V single speed motor. The old 2-speed needed 4 wires to create two separate circuits for high and low speeds. The new single speed motor only uses 3 wire for 1 circuit. I think the confusion comes from the 4 wires coming from your 2-speed switch. Take the 2-speed switch out and replace it with 3 wires coming from a single switch or a timer. For 230V motors red and black are hot and green or bare is ground. wire red to L1, black to L2 and green to ground. Note, both the black and the red wire have 115V against ground. Together they have 230V. Reply

LafrancePosted: 7/29/2017

Hi.. can anybody help.. im trying to install my new 230v pool pump.. i remove the old pentair that was dual speed.. my new pump is wired for 230v ... but when i took wires out from old pump its 4 wires ..instead of three.. 1 green , 1 black ,2 red.. "the black was hooked to L1 , 1 red was on 2 and the other red was on 3/4 on the OLD pump... which red wire i used to hook to new pump ... is one red wire 115v and the other is 230v.. how to i check? Reply

CurtPosted: 7/18/2017

I'm trying to wire my pump (120v) to an intermatic t101. The pump has a red, a black and a white wire. Which wire goes to the ground screw, which wire goes to neutral? Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R.Posted: 7/13/2017

Ed – Yes, the black box lifts off of one lug on the terminal and you shift it over to the next lug on the left which points it to 115. Reply

EdPosted: 7/12/2017

Hello, In the first picture where it shows the black box with a white arrow pointing to 230V, how do I change this to 115V? Does the whole connector unplug somehow? Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R.Posted: 6/12/2017

James - Your problem seems to be very similar to Chris100 below. Our wiring instructions may not be exactly the same for all motors. Your motor wiring instruction should be printed on the motor label. I'd follow them and read whatever is in your user's manual for any changes. Also, you too may have been sent a bad motor but that seem unlikely. If you bought the pump from us, give us a call. I have a call into our motor rep to see if he knows what might be the problem. Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R.Posted: 6/12/2017

Chris001 - Our wiring instructions may not be exactly the same for all motors. Your motor wiring instruction should be printed on the motor label. I'd follow them and read whatever is in your user's manual for any changes. Also, you may have been sent a bad motor. If you bought the pump from us, give us a call at 877-372-6038. Reply

JamesPosted: 6/10/2017

I just received the magnum 1.5 pool pump this week and installed it according to the instructions on this website. When I turn the breaker back on and flip the switch to the pump, it only hums. The impeller does not appear to be turning. This is the same thing my old pump was doing, which is why I replaced it. The voltage from the house is 115, and I changed the inside voltage plug on the motor to 115 from 230 (as per the instructions on this page). I'm not sure what else to do at this point. When my old pump was working, the impeller would at least turn, even if there was no water in the pump. I wired the new pump the same way the old pump was wired, and I know that pump worked with that wiring scheme. The new pump is the same model as the old pump. Any suggestions? Reply

Chris001Posted: 6/10/2017

Just bought a new Carvin Magnum pump. The pump is part number 7-184949-22. I have 110vac supply.Wired white to L1 and black to L2 and ground to the green screw.When I move the pre-wired block (internal) from the position for 230vac to 115vac and turn on the pump it shorts the and throws my breaker. When I move the block to the 230vac position it runs for about 10 minutes and then shuts off.After it sits for a bit it will start again.

Phil - If you are running on 220V, you don't need a neutral wire. One hot wire goes to L1 and the other hot wire goes to L@. Green wire to ground.If you are running on 115V, the hot wire goes to L1 and the other neutral wire goes to L@. Make sure your motor is configured for the right supply voltage. See the motor label for configuration instructions. Reply

PhilPosted: 6/5/2017

I just bought a new motor and it does not have a neutral connection for the white wire. After connecting the appropriate wires and plugging in, it won't start. Power to each connection but without the white wire, there is no power to the motor.??? Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R.Posted: 5/30/2017

Anonymous (230V wiring) - Yes, The two hot lines go to L1 and L2. green to ground and white ignored. I would cap off the white line. Reply

InyoPools Product Specialist Dennis R.Posted: 5/30/2017

jmal - Yes, you can bypass the ProLogic and wire the pump directly to the circuit breaker. That's what most pool owners do with a timer in between. Reply

AnonymousPosted: 5/28/2017

If i read thia correctly, on a 230v connection the red and black are L1 and L2 the green to ground and the white does not get connected. Is that right? Reply